Simon As A Christ Figure In Lord Of The Flies Research Paper

Hannah Rogers

Miss Deegan

AP Literature

23 October 2016

The teachings of Jesus Christ promote purity and virtue of man and society, but are often challenged by the concept that human nature is rooted in evil and the ‘beastie’ that inhabits the heart of every man. Even in modern literature, there are often distinctive cues alluding to a parallel between Jesus Christ and the complex characters that embody the same divine characteristics and a certain innate goodness. Simon is the epitome of a Christ figure in The Lord of the Flies, in his actions, realizations, and later his death, thus complicating the symmetry that the characters of Jack and Ralph create amid civilization and savagery, and the evil possible on both ends of the spectrum.

Every character in Lord of the Flies sees nature as an adversary, whereas Simon is comfortable and at peace in it. Jack wants to dominate nature, Ralph sees nature as subordinate to society, and Simon and nature share a compatibility and mutual respect. All of their relationships with nature are reflections of how they act in their mini society. Jack’s overall rejection of society stems from a complete detachment from nature, whereas Ralph sees it as something merely challenging that can be conquered with societal constructs. Simon’s happiness and appreciation for nature in and of itself is what makes him insightful, and arguably the most ethical character in the novel. Foster argues that “culture is so influenced by its dominant religious systems that whether a writer adheres to the beliefs or not, the values and principles of those religions will inevitably inform the literary work. Often those values will not be religious in nature but may show themselves in connection with the individual's role within society.” (pg.

Possibly the most distinctive parallel between Simon and Christ himself is that they both go off to pray in solitude, and in the first step in Jesus’ eventual execution, his prayers are full of fear and anxiety, much like when Simon sees the pighead. Jesus’ visit to the Garden of Gethsemane the night before he is crucified is comparable to the scene where Simon confronted the devil, the Lord of the Flies, and was reborn with a new identity and understanding only to be persecuted for his ideals and face the inevitable conclusion of death. he recognizes the presence of evil. Jesus died because he realized a great moral truth: that he is the very son of God. Simon met his death because he adhered to this idea that there wasn’t a ‘beastie’, when he says, “Maybe there is a beast…What I mean is, maybe it’s only us.” (pg. ?) “There is a savage that resides in the bottom of every man’s heart, and Simon contains that. Evil continues to dominate his life even though he only does good. Kind, compassionate, “You’ll get back alright” easing Ralph’s mind. Provider of food, like Jesus was. “The beast is only us” knows that the uncivilized behavior with be what